Make your own Sports Drink

With the economy struggling, $3 Gatorades may become a luxury. However, regardless of economy, you need to rehydrate and refuel after a workout.Ã‚Â Lifehacker shows you how to make your own sports drink:

Measure all ingredients precisely. Small variations can make the drink less effective or even harmful. Mix the following:

Half the salt, cut the salt substitute in favor of an equal amount of citric acid. Mix all dry ingredients in the bottle, then add ice cold water and close the lid quickly. Shake it and you’ll have a carbonated beverage.

Baking soda + Citric Acid = Calcium Citrate + CO2. Cold water suspends the CO2 better. Shake it after closing the bottle for a few minutes to suspend the gases.

Citric Acid is sold in health food stores and some grocers as “sodium-free salt”, and is available in any store that sells canning supplies, as it’s commonly used as a preservative for sweet canned fruits and jams. Brew shops are another good source, but it’ll cost more. Online you can buy 5lb bags for under $20 (a life-time supply for sports drink making).